The Bluffer - Red Bluff, CA
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/57885
Sports Page 9 V. Girls break 17 year drought Team ties for top spot in the league standings Brittany Villa Staff Writer After many hours a week of dedicated practice and hundreds of intense minutes put into games, the 2011-2012 Red Bluff High School girl's varsity basketball season has finally come to an end. With a record of 15 wins and 11 losses, the varsity girls won league for the first time in over 15 years at Red Bluff High School. "Winning league felt pretty awesome. It was a great way to end the season," said Alex Dahnke, junior. The team saw a huge improvement this year having placed last in league the year before to now winning a league title. "It felt pretty amazing Courtesy photo Varsity player Ashley Brown shoots a 3 as the team looks on during the league Title game against PV. because the program had suffered for the past few years and the fact that we were able to turn that around is more than awesome," said Sarah Brown, junior. Both Brown and Dahnke very happy with the outcome of the season. "The season ended great. agreed that the whole team was Winning league was not one of our original goals, but because the players worked hard and came together, we accomplished it," said Coach Kathy Brandt. Brandt also said that with the team's great chemistry came confidence. "Our team was very close- like a family," said Dahnke. The team consisted of six juniors and six seniors. This means that for half of the team, a league title was not only a great end to the season, but to their high school basketball careers as well. "It will be sad to see half of our team gone next year, but we will always share the satisfaction in knowing that we won that league title together," said Brown. The girls were able to grow as a team this year and improve many of their weaknesses from the beginning of the season. Varsity Boys take home league title Veronica Smith Staff Writer With the 2011-2012 Red Bluff High School's basketball season over, the Varsity team ends with their record being 6-6 in league, and overall record being 11-16, and they are very happy with the way things ended. In the beginning of the season the varsity basketball team was doing pretty good with some wins and some loses, they were on their way to their main goal. They made sure that most of their weaknesses were either put aside or worked on for their hard games. With five seniors on the varsity team, Jonah McInnis, Taylor Blaser, Michael Gonzales, Mitch Robison, and Jake Avila, who will miss everything from each other being practically brothers to practices and all the things in between like the rides and the team lunches they had the day of their games. From the good moments to the moments they wish they could take back, Jonah McInnis explains his favorite part of being on the team, "getting to become brothers with my teammates and being league champs!". From getting league champions, the Varsity team had reached their goal. With tough games to great games, they stuck with each other and got through it in the end. "My favorite game is our game against Las Plumas to clinch the league title," McInnis Laura Defonte Staff Writer Last year the tennis team had a great season being the 2011 EAL champs. "My goal for the season as a coach is to help them continue to improve in each match and win the EAL South League," Twitchell said last year. He made his goal come true as Red Bluff with coming out as the champs. The goal this year is to win as many as matches as they can and to be the best that they can be and come out this season satisfied. Twitchell motivates the team by setting a positive tone and having them practice a lot before big matches. This is Twitchell's third year coaching boy's tennis for the high school. In their season they should have a lot of returning players and a lot of faces that they have seen before. The team should win many matches if they focus in practice and don't choke in stressful pressure situations. But when they do get on the court, they plan on working together to help improve everyone. Alpine team sends racers to State race Laura Defonte Staff Writer It has been outstanding season so far for the RBHS Alpine team. The team has lost about 10 days of on-snow training due to weather and they only have 3 of their 6 races done, but this group of athletes is progress- ing well and getting results. There are actually four dif- ferent teams. Snowboarding boys, snowboarding girls, ski boys, and ski girls. Each team is competing as a separate unit, but they do add ski boys with the ski girls and the snowboarding boys with the snowboarding girls. "The biggest strength is that these kids are athletes and train like athletes," said Coach Bill Treat. The team this year does not have a weakness per say be- sides the fact that they don't have much experience, but that won't hold them back from reaching their full po- tential. For the team to reach that full potential they need more time on the snow, and this will give them more strength to improve as racers on the hill. They have become a strong and cohesive team. The team competes within the North Di- vision 1, made up of Shasta, Foothill, Enterprise, NAWA, and University Prep High Schools. Rebecca Blanchard Staff Writer Recently the Red Bluff Spartans track recently started and has two up and coming meets as of next week. On the fourteenth the Spartans will have their first practice meet at the Red Bluff Campus. Field events will be at three o'clock and running events will be at three-thirty. After that, there will be a meet on Friday. The varsity Spartans will be at Chico State and the junior varsity Spartans will be at Chico High School. Coach Michael hopes that all "I love being outside with the athletes" -Coach Ackley For freshman Karl Parks it is to be able to succeed greatly. "My goal is to beat Varsity Runner Jordan McManus of the athletes will improve and have fun as they are doing it. So far, the Spartans track team has a little over 100 athletes. Each of which have various goals. said. The playoff game on 2/24 against Chico was lost 81-29, the one game that many of the team would want the chance to redo. Put aside their few struggles that they may have had, the Red Bluff Varsity Spartans had ended it well. Their goal to be league champions was succeeded, and to be brothers with one another was no problem to be done. Tennis hopes to repeat Track prepares for Chico Relays every meet, unless I am dead or my legs were chopped off by a chainsaw; or to get a 2:08 time for running the 800 meters," said Jacob Conrad, senior. Along with new athletes, the track team also has two new track coaches: Coach Ackly and Coach Osujy. Coach Osujy has been running track for a long time and would like to give back his knowledge of sprinting he has gained over the years. "I love being outside with the athletes, I figured it would be a fun new experience," said Coach Ackly. To recap, the Spartans first meet will be a home meet on the fourteenth. Golf begins season with young team and hopes to stay strong Brittany Villa Staff Writer Red Bluff High School's boy's golf team has just begun its season and the coach and golfers are all going into it with much optimism. "We are going to have a good year with a youthful team and good chemistry," said Peter Mitzel, junior. There are 10 boys on the team this year. Four of which are returners. The other six are new to the team. This year the team does not have a single senior in their ranks. "This means that whatever we accomplish and develop this year as a team can carry on into the next couple of years," said Coach Tomasetti. The team is very fond of their coach. "Coach Tomasetti is the core reason why we have been so successful in the past. She knows how to turn our weaknesses into strengths," said Daniel Frantz, junior. The team's first tournament was Monday at Brookside in Stockton. Only five of the 10 players went, including Daniel Frantz, Peter Mitzel, Jordan Chapin, Dylan Grossman, and Austin Smith. Brookside golf course Spartans is alleged to be one of the toughest courses the team will play on all season. "It requires smart and conservative play," said Frantz. The team's goal for the season is to win league for the third time in a row. The boys agree that this goal will be fulfilled through the effort they put into the practice time they have. "You win through preparation and we are dedicated to doing whatever necessary to be successful," said Mitzel. Mr. Gallaty (Teacher) "World Series no doubt, I want to be right behind the dish." Player of the issue -Ryley Gallagher -Alpine Team Gallagher placed 17 out of 88 for the skiers in the California State championships. Gallagher and Blake Villa were the only Red Bluff Skiers to go to State and both placed in the top 40. Player of the Issue/Egan Meagher and Nick Reinhardt Ms. Disibio (Teacher) "Olympics, I know itʼs not a professional event, but it would be awesome because itʼs a world wide event that promotes so much more than athletics... ." Sound Off/Nick Reinhardt Jordyn Smith (12) "Winter Xgames because snowboarding would be fun." Chris Alcala (11) "Stanley Cup because itʼs the most exciting part of hockey." Marcelo Oliver(9) "The Championships for track and field because I love it." March 9, 2012 S partan ound off If you had the chance, what professional event would you go to and why? Erika Ellis (10) "The Pro Bowl because thereʼs a lot of fine gentlemen playing my favorite game."